Ceiling, wall and floor washer



July 22, 1958 ca. D. HANCOCK CEILING, WALL AND FLOOR WASHER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GAQso/v 0. HANCOCK,

ATTORNEYS.

Filed Feb. 17, 1956 July 22, 1958 e. D. HANCOCK 2,843,866

CEILING, WALL AND FLOORWASHER Fi led Feb. 17, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2. 73

R. 60250 0. f/AA/COGHZ,

United States Patent CEILING, WALL AND FLOOR WASHER Garson D. Hancock, Hayward, Calif. Application February 17, 1956, Serial No. 566,195 3 Claims. (CI. 15-22) This invention relates to Washing and scrubbing apparatus, and more particularly to an improved washing and scrubbing apparatus for use in cleaning ceilings, Walls, floors and other surfaces.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved washing and scrubbing apparatus which is simple in construction, which is relatively compact in size, which is easy to operate, and which provides an improved reciprocating scrubbing and washing action which is very effective in removing clinging dirt particles and the like from the surfaces of ceilings, walls, floors, and similar areas.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved washing and scrubbing apparatus for cleaning various surfaces, such as ceilings, walls, floors and the surfaces of rugs, upholstery, and the like, the apparatus being relatively inexpensive to fabricate, being sturdy in construction, providing economical utilization of water and detergents or similar cleansing material, being easy to move to the location where it is to be employed, and being highly maneuverable so that the apparatus may be employed in areas where space is limited and may be employed to reach corners and other relatively inaccessible points on the surfaces being cleaned.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved Washing and scrubbing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken vertically on the line 4 -4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the improved washing and scrubbing apparatus is generally designated at 11 and comprises a main housing 12 of any suitable shape, such as cylindrical, as shown, said housing 12 being provided with the depending support legs 13, and said support legs being provided with the swivel casters 14, whereby the housing 12 may be readily wheeled to its intended location. Designated at 15 is a cover member of substantial height and of generally cylindrical shape, corresponding to the shape of the housing 12, said cover member being formed with an arcuate, downwardly concave annular bottom peripheral flange 16 which sealingly engages on a top ring member 17 of resilient deformable material secured on the top rim of the main housing 12, as shown in Figure 2. A plurality of clamp assemblies 18 are provided on the top portion of the main housing 12, said clamp assemblies comprising lever members 19 pivoted to lugs 20 secured to the upper portion of main housing 12, the lever members 19 being substantially U-shaped, as shown in Figure 1. Pivoted to the intermediate portions of the side arms of the member 19, as by transverse pivot bolts 21 and swingable between the arms of the U-shaped member 19 is a clamping hook element 22 which is engageable over the annular base flange 16 of top cover 15, as is clearly shown in Figure 2, whereby the base flange 16 may be tightly clamped against the resilient deformable sealing ring 17 by rotating the lever members 19 to their lowermost positions adjacent the wall of main housing 12, as shown in Figure 2.

As will be apparent, the lever members 19 are retained in their locking positions by toggle action, and may be released when required, by rotating the lever members outwardly beyond their dead center positions, relaxing the holding force on the hook members 22 and allowing said hook members to be disengaged from the flange element 16.-

Mounted in the main housing 12 is a generally annular tank 23 adapted to contain a supply of hot water and soap or detergent material. The annular tank 23 includes the cylindrical axially located vertical inner wall 24 on the top end of which is mounted an annular, flanged bushing 25 through which is journaled a vertical shaft 26. Mounted in the bottom portion of the main housing 12 is an electric motor 27 having a vertical shaft 28 which is connected by a universal joint assembly 29 to a depending stud element 30 secured in the lower end of the vertical shaft 26. The shaft 26 and the dowl or stud 30 may be of any suitable material, preferably of plastic material, since such to corrosion.

Secured on the shaft 26 and rotatably supported on the top end of the bushing 25 is a pulley 31. Secured to the side wall portion of the housing 12 is a bracket 32 on which is mounted a pump 33, said pump being of conventional construction and having an inlet conduit 34 extending into the tank 23. The pump 33 has the impeller 35 secured on the vertical shaft 36 which extends upwardly and which is provided at its top end with a pulley 37. The pulley 37 is coupled to the pulley 31 by a suitable V belt 38, as shown in Figure 2.

The discharge outlet of the pump 33 is connected to a relatively small conduit 39 which extends upwardly to the cover 15 and which is connected to an axially located bushing member 40 mounted centrally in the top Wall 41 of cover 15, as is clearly shown in Figure 2, the small conduit 39 communicating with a vertical passage 42 formed in the bushing 40.

The bushing 40 has the upwardly projecting reduced portion 43 on which is engaged one end of a relatively large conduit 44 of suitable somewhat flexible material, such as plastic material or the like, said large conduit 44 being formed with respective loop portions 45 and 46 leading to a relatively rigid straight end portion 47 which may be employed as a wand and which may be manipulated in various directions and in various angular positions because of the flexibility of the loop portions 45 and 46.

Secured in the top end of the large conduit 44 is a bushing member 48 to which is connected one end of a large plastic tubular elbow 49. Secured in the upper end of the elbow 49, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 is the reduced depending portion 50 of a generally rectangular brush housing 51.

Designated at 52 is a generally rectangular. brush which is slidably mounted in the brush housing 51 for reciprocation in its own plane, namely, in a horizontal plane, as viewed in Figures 3 and 4, the brush 52 being formed at its opposite side edges with elongated grooves 53 which slidably receive the ends of supporting pins 54 threadedly engaged through the respective longitu dinal side walls of the brush housing 51, as shown in Figure 4, whereby the brush 52 is guided for horizontal reciprocation. The housing 51 is further formed with supporting shoulders 55 at the inside of its opposite plastic material is not subject longitudinal side walls, said shoulders being received in longitudinal grooves 56 formed in the opposite sides of the brush 52 to further support the brush 52 for longitudinal reciprocation in housing 51.

Sealingly secured to the top marginal portion of the brush housing 51 is an upstanding flange member 57 extending completely around the periphery of housing 51, said flange member 57 having secured therein the upstanding resilient deformable sealing member 58 adapted to engage the surface being cleaned and to seal the brush housing with respect to said surface. Thus, the member 58 may comprise a relatively thin vertical rubber rib secured in the flange member 57 and extending continuously around the housing 51 to provide a sealing closure adjacent to and surrounding the brush 52.

The brush 52 is formed with the upstanding bristles 59 and is formed at its intermediate portion with the the upstanding eccentric stud 61 carried on a vertical shaft member 62 which is axially and rotatably mounted in the center of the bottom wall of the brush housing 51.

The vertical shaft member 62 is formed with the axial bore 63 which opens at the top end of the shaft 62 in the space 64 located substantially centrally of the bristles 59, as shown in Figure 4.

The shaft 62 is rotatably supported on the bottom wall of the brush housing 51 by a collar element 65 integrally formed on the intermediate portion of the shaft and disposed between the brush 52 and the bottom wall of brush housing 51.

Shaft 62 extends through a depending sleeve portion 66 formed axially on the brush housing 51, said shaft being formed at its intermediate portion with an annular groove 67 communicating with the passage 63. A radially extending conduit 68 formed in the member 50 communicates with the groove 67. Connected to the end of the conduit 68 is one end of a flexible, relatively small conduit 69, the other end of the conduit 69 being connected to a conduit element 79 formed on the bushing member 48. Connected to the conduit element 78 and extending internally through the bushing 48 is a rigid small conduit 71 which projects below the bushing 48 and extends parallel to the wall of the straight large conduit portion 47, as shown in Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 2, a small rigid conduit 73 secured in the bushing 43 connects the passage 42 to one end of a flexible, relatively small conduit 74. The other end of the flexible conduit 74 is connected to the rigid conduit element 71, whereby the outlet of the pumps 33 are connected to the space 64 in brush 52' through small conduit 39, passage 42, rigid conduit element 73, flexible conduit 74, rigid conduit element 71, conduit 70, flexible conduit 69, conduit 68, groove 67 and passage 63.

The lower end of shaft 62 is connected by a universal joint assembly 75 to the top ends of a shaft member 76 journaled axially in the bushing 48.

Secured to the bottom end of the bushing 40 in cover is a vacuum blower housing 77 provided with. a discharge conduit 78 arranged above the annular tank 24, and arranged to discharge water and detergent returned from the brush housing 51 into the tank. Journaled axially in the bushing 43 is a shaft 79 which extends vertically and centrally through the blower housing 77 and which has mounted thereon the blower rotor 80 arranged to develop suction in a plurality of vertical air intake passages 81 formed in bushing 43 and communicating with the inner portion of the blower housing 77.

As shown in Figure 2, the vertical passages 81 communicate with the interior of the relatively large conduit. 44.

At its upper portion the shaft 26 is formed with an axial bore containing a plastic cylindrical lining 83 which.

rotatably receives a depending axial stud element 84' formed on the bottom end of the shaft 79. Secured on the lower end portion of the shaft 79 above the stud 84 is an annular dished plate member 85 in which is secured an annular clutch disc 86 of suitable friction material. Designated at 87 is an upwardly facing annular dished plate member which is mounted on the top end portion of shaft 26 and which is keyed thereto by a screw member 88 extending into a vertical slot 89 formed in the wall of the shaft 26, whereby the plate member 87 rotates with shaft 26 but may move vertically with respect thereto. The plate member 87 has secured therein the annular clutch disc 89 of suitable friction material which is held in coupling engagement with the clutch disc 86 by a coil spring 90 surrounding the shaft 26 and bearing between plate member 87 and the top surface of pulley 31, as shown in Figure 2.

Thus, the blower impeller 80 and shaft 79 are yieldingly coupled to shaft 26 and are hence driven by the shaft 28 of the electric motor 27.

The lower end of the shaft element 76 is connected to the top end of the shaft 79 by a conventional flexible shaft 92 contained within a water-proof guard tube 93. As shown in Figure 4, the top end of the guard tube 93 is flanged at 94 and is secured to the bottom surface of the bushing member 48 by machine screws extending through the flange 94. The lower end of the guard tube 93 is downwardly flared, as shown at 95 and is aperturcd at 96 to allow water returning through the conduit 47 to pass into the return passages 81 in bushing 40. The lower end of the flared portion 95 is flanged at 97 and is secured to the top surface of bushing 43 by machine screws engaged through the flange 97.

In operation, the motor shaft 28 rotates the shaft 26, causing the pump 33 to be operated simultaneously with the blower rotor 80, and with the reciprocating brush 52. As will be readily apparent, the flexible shaft 92 communicates torque from the shaft 79 to the shaft element 76, which is in turn communicated to the universal joint assembly 75 to the shaft 92, causing the eccentric stud member 61 to be rotated around the axis of the shaft 62. The eccentric rotation of the stud element 61 is transmitted to the side walls of the slot 60, causing the brush 52 to reciprocate longitudinally. Simultaneously with this, hot water and detergent is forced upwardly to the space 64 by the action of the pump 33, whereby the water is sprayed on the surface being cleaned with considerable pressure.

As above explained, the area being cleaned is sealed by the deformable resilient rib element 58, whereby the pressure in said area may be substantial and whereby considerable agitation of the detergent and water mixture is provided by the reciprocating bristles 59.

The spent water and detergent falls through the discharge passages in the bottom wall of brush 51, shown at 98 and drops through the depending lower portion 50 of the brush 51 into the elbow 49, and thence drops through the passages 99 in bushing 48 into the large conduit straight portion 47. The blower rotor 80 provides a substantial suction in the large conduit, whereby the spent water and detergent is. drawn through the large conduit and is discharged through the blower housing 77 and through the depending outlet conduit 78 in the bottom wall of said blower housing. Thus, the water is delivered back to the tank 24 for recirculation through the machine.

A suflicient amount of slack is provided in the small flexible conduit 39 connecting the outlet of pump 33 to the passage 42 in bushing 40 to allow the top cover 15 to be disengaged sufliciently from the main housing 12 for filling the tank 24.

The apparatus above described may be employed not only to clean ceilings, walls, and floors, but may also be employed to clean rugs, upholstery, and similar surfaces. By employing a proper detergent and water mixture or a proper cleaning mixture, such surfaces may be washed and dried in a single operation,

By employing a suitable brush head, the apparatus may be employed for applying paint to ceilings, or may be employed as a waxer or polisher.

While a specific embodiment of an improved washing and scrubbing apparatus has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a washing and scrubbing apparatus of the character described, a brush housing having parallel side walls, a brush slidably supported on said side walls in said housing, said brush being formed with a transverse slot, a shaft journaled in said housing perpendicular to said brush, a stud element mounted eccentrically on said shaft and engaging slidably in said slot, said stud element being formed and arranged to reciprocate said brush in said housing in a direction parallel to said side walls responsive to rotation of said shaft, said shaft being formed with a bore extending through and opening at the upper portion of said stud element, said shaft being formed with an annular groove adjacent the lower end of the bore and with a passage connecting said groove to the lower end of said bore, and a conduit mounted in said housing and communicating with said annular groove.

2. In a washing and scrubbing apparatus of the character described, a brush housing having parallel side Walls, a brush slidably supported on said side walls in said housing, the sides of said brush being formed with guide grooves, inwardly projecting guide pins mounted in said side walls and slidably engaging in said guide grooves, said brush being formed with a transverse slot, a shaft journaled in said housing perpendicular to said brush, a stud element mounted eccentrically on said shaft and engaging slidably in said slot, said stud element being formed and arranged to reciprocate said brush in said housing in a direction parallel to said side walls responsive to rotation of said shaft, said shaft being formed with a bore extending through and opening at the upper portion of said stud element, said shaft being formed with an annular groove adjacent the lower end of the bore and with a passage connecting said groove to the lower end of said bore, and a conduit mounted in said housing and communicating with said annular groove.

3. In a washing and scrubbing apparatus of the character described, a brush housing having parallel side walls, a brush slidably supported on said side walls in said housing, the sides of said brush being formed with guide grooves, inwardly projecting guide pins mounted in said side walls and slidably engaging in said guide grooves, said brush being formed with a transverse slot, a shaft journaled in said housing perpendicular to said brush, a stud element mounted eccentrically on said shaft and engaging slidably in said slot, said stud element being formed and arranged to reciprocate said brush in said housing in a direction parallel to said side walls responsive to rotation of said shaft, said shaft being formed with a bore extending through and opening at the upper portion of said stud element, said shaft being formed with an annular groove adjacent the lower end of the bore and with a passage connecting said groove to the lower end of said bore, a conduit mounted in said housing and communicating with said annular groove, and a. sealing rib element of resilient deformable material mounted on the periphery of said housing and extending continuously therearound, said rib element being sealingly engageable with a surface to be cleaned to sealingly enclose the brush in said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 681,837 Scott Sept. 3, 1901 729,187 King May 26, 1903 1,042,711 Moorhead Oct. 29, 1912 1,698,970 Shaflf Jan. 15, 1929 1,929,345 Brown et al. Oct. 3, 1933 1,982,345 Kirby Nov. 27, 1934 2,270,579 Chamberlin et a1 Jan. 20, 1942 2,292,435 Crites Aug. 11, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 463,735 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1937 

